The papers in this collection relate to Boyle's career as a poet. They include drafts of his poems and correspondence with other poets, book publishers and editors of journals and magazines about publication of his work and invitations to participate in literary events. Correspondents include Catherine Bateson, Laurence Gay, Ivor Indyk, John Kinsella, Peter Lyssiotis, Dorothy Porter, Arthur Spyrou, University of Queensland Press, Fay Zwicky, Imago, Poetry and Southerly. There is a long chronological run of notebooks containing original writings, diary material, first drafts of poetry and prose and notes and ideas relating to many of Boyle's published works. Together with the typescript drafts of many of his poems, they illustrate Boyle's creative process. In 1992 Boyle won the Melbourne University Wesley Michael Wright Poetry Prize. His first published book of poetry, Coming home from the world, was joint winner of the 1994 Banjo Award for Poetry and the 1995 NSW Premier's Prize. His second publication, The blue cloud of crying, won the 1997 Banjo Award for Poetry and the 1998 SA Premier's Prize - the John Bray Award. In 1999 Boyle received an Australia Council Literature Board grant which enabled him to reduce his teaching load to two days a week, allowing him to concentrate on writing and preparing a new book of poetry.
